I remember the exact feeling she brought up in me.

That tight, hot mix of jealousy and awe.

It was not just that she had gorgeous, thick, wavy red hair cascading down her back like she walked out of a shampoo commercial. While mine was thin, straight, the color of a rat, and never grew past my shoulders.

The real problem was this: she could pick up a pen, barely try, and somehow create a masterpiece. Her hand, a pencil, a brush, a lump of charcoal, it did not matter. It always became something that would have made even Van Gogh feel a little nervous.

Meanwhile, I was over here making things that looked like a sad potato with feelings.

The artist dream I never gave up

I have always wanted to be the kind of person who creates beautiful things with my own hands.

Which is why I’m so excited about what’s happening at the May day retreat.

I hired a real life artist who is coming to show us how to make magic, in a way that is simple and totally doable.

If you have been craving more art in your life, but it never happens because it feels messy, you are not sure where to start, you do not have supplies, and there is never time, this is your moment.

Perfect if you want creativity, but you want it guided, easy, and not all over your kitchen table.

Indigo + Shibori, with River

I invited River, a Japanese American mixed media artist, to host an indigo dye workshop for us. She is an incredible guide and makes the whole process feel easy and fun.

We will learn shibori, the Japanese art of folding, tying, wrapping, or clamping fabric so the dye can only reach certain places. Then we dip it into indigo, a deep blue dye that gets richer with every dip.

The best part is the reveal. You undo the knots, open the folds, and suddenly there is a pattern you could not have planned even if you tried.

What you will dye

You will be able to dye 2 to 3 pieces.

River will bring one item for you to work with, and you are welcome to bring a few of your own too.

Good options: a kitchen towel, pillowcase, T shirt, or a simple summer dress.

One important note: your items need to be 100% natural material, like cotton or linen.

No art skills required

This is not the kind of workshop where you need to be good at art. Shibori does the work for you.

Tiny ties become sweet little dots. Folding and clamping creates bold geometric shapes. Wrapping around a pole makes dramatic, stormy stripes. Every method has its own personality, and every piece comes out completely unique.

No matter what you do, it turns out beautiful. Indigo has a way of making everything look intentional.

A little unevenness becomes character. A surprise line becomes your favorite detail.

You will leave with something you made with your own hands, and it will feel like a small piece of magic you can actually wear or use at home.

Why an indigo art class on a yoga day retreat?

Because it is the same practice, just in a different form.

Yoga is learning to be present, breathe, and trust the process. Indigo dyeing is that, made visible. You fold, tie, dip, and wait. You cannot control it all, and that is the point.

After movement and breathwork, we shift into a calm, creative flow. It is repetitive, grounding, and surprisingly meditative.

And it is also an embodied lesson in letting go. You do not need to be “artistic.” You just need to show up and follow simple steps. The fabric does the rest.

When you open your piece at the end, you get the reminder we all need: you do not have to do it perfectly for it to be beautiful.

PS. I have not seen Maj Britt since I was 15. I do not hate her anymore. I hope she went on to have a successful and creative life, maybe as an artist.

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